Daniella + Christopher | Lavender Springtime Pandemic Wedding

A simple but stunning nuptial celebration, surrounded by intimate friends and family. Bright lavender florals and teal green accents brought delight in the midst of a global crisis, and chosen Scriptures encouraged bride and groom to joyfully put on love, the “bond of perfection.”

Daniella and Christopher never anticipated a global pandemic during their engagement, but even the difficult loss of the large wedding they had planned didn’t break their foundation of faith--something they intentionally cultivated throughout their six year relationship. Together, they found strength in the words of Scripture read during their nuptial Mass: “let the peace of Christ control your hearts” (Colossians 3:15).

From the Bride

Christopher and I met in high school during junior year math class. We hung out before and after school and even spent time with the kids at my mom's home daycare. At one point, I fell out with some friends in our friend group, but Chris looked at me and simply said, "don't worry about them, I will be your friend."

After that, I went to one of his baseball games in the spring, and he asked me to go to dinner with him. I knew he was finally going to admit he liked me as more than a friend, and after dinner when we went for ice cream he asked me to be his girlfriend!

I remember one of the moments I knew I loved him:

I was kneeling in a church pew by myself before Mass, because I had missed Mass with my family earlier that day. My eyes were closed in prayer, and when I opened them Chris was there. He had already gone to Mass that morning but wanted to spend time with me.

We chose to attend the same Catholic college, and went to Mass together every Sunday evening. During that time Chris went on a “study and serve” trip to Guatemala, and I cried when he left. I felt overcome with the feeling that he was the man I was meant to marry. I met him in the airport when he returned home nine weeks later, and he told me that seeing me there was the moment he was sure he wanted to marry me.

After six years of dating, he proposed at the Tulsa Zoo--one of our favorite dates. We went on to plan a large wedding for May 2020, but the global pandemic unexpectedly occurred. Through much prayer and some tears over our lost dreams for our wedding day, we changed plans, and then changed them again. Our wedding became an intimate Mass with only immediate family, and we postponed the large reception for our one year anniversary.

Our relationship has always centered around our Catholic faith, and we wove prayer and Mass together into our weekly routines. While contemplating whether we were called to marriage, I prayed a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux. It was answered with a red rose that symbolized what I had already been thinking: that Chris and I would marry each other.

We were both born and raised in strong Catholic families that went to church every Sunday, and we attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through college. We planned our nuptial Mass around Chris’s grandfather, who was the first deacon in our diocese. His uncle is a priest in a neighboring diocese. Chris’s grandfather witnessed our vows, and his uncle gave the homily, the blessing of the coins, and the lasso ceremony.

Chris and I eventually decided that we wanted a simple day that included our favorite colors, green and purple, and lots of family. My two sisters were my maid of honor and bridesmaid, and Chris’s brother was the best man. The Mass was live-streamed for any family who couldn’t be there.

We included the Hispanic traditions of my family by doing the blessing of the arras, or coins, to represent prosperity in marriage. We also performed the lasso ceremony to represent our unity and commitment.

We thought it would be fun to recreate one of our first pictures together, taken seven years before our wedding. Chris and I also took pictures popping a bottle of champagne we had been gifted for our engagement, then saved for 11 months to cherish on our wedding day. We all took pictures with masks for safety, but also to commemorate the unique time during which we got married.

We were originally set to marry at Chris’ parish, but we had to change the venue two weeks before to my parish of St. Anne’s. We had also planned to have our reception at the Tulsa Zoo (where Chris proposed) but that has been postponed due the pandemic.

Chris and I cut our cake and shared our first dance in the living room, and my family transformed my sister's home into the reception venue for our small group. It was filled with little details representing Chris and I, our love for each other, and our new last name. I designed rustic-style programs for the ceremony and gold accent pieces including the coins, the lasso, and the cake topper.

I crafted gift bags for each guest and vendor that included a roll of toilet paper, a pack of tissues, and hand sanitizer wrapped with green, purple, and gold ribbons. My family had green and purple masks made to match our bridal party's attire.

We chose the readings for our Mass based on a common theme of biblical couples coming together to pray with a marriage centered on God:

Our first reading was Tobit 8:4-8, which states: “Now Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age."

Chris and I are so blessed to be together and share our faith. We are blessed to be able to help each other work toward the noble purpose of fulfilling God's plan for our lives. Like Tobit and his wife Sarah, we hope and pray that God grants us the ability to live together to a “happy old age.”

We also like how this reading shows a couple coming together to pray for each other and for their life together, especially with the mindset of being a gift to the other. Chris and I know our marriage is a relationship between the two of us and Christ.

Our second reading was Colossians 3:12-17. The first verses list virtuous qualities to exemplify as God's beloved chosen ones: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Scripture states that "over all these put on love...the bond of perfection." While we want our marriage to embody each and every one of these qualities, we know that God's love for us and our love for each other is at the root of our relationship. We strive for the "bond of perfection:" to love each other in our choices and actions, even when we may not feel like doing so.

Colossians 3:15 states, "let the peace of Christ control your hearts." Chris is good at remaining at peace and trusting God, while I sometimes struggle with maintaining that peace. So my husband reminds me to trust in God's plan and to re-find peace.

Lastly, we are "called in one body" to do "everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." In a supernatural way, Chris and I are joined as one body, with Christ at the center of our marriage. We give thanks to God for this bond. We entered into this sacrament full of thanks for one another and for all God has blessed us with, continues to bless us with, and will bless us with in the future.

Our Gospel was John 15:9-12, which focuses on remaining in Christ's love. It’s a message similar to the previous reading's themes of loving each other while always remembering that Christ is the center of our relationship. Chris and I strive to show each other Christ's love on a daily basis. We want to live every day loving each other as Christ loves us and to let our lives be an example of God’s love.

After re-planning our wedding three times, our day was much different than expected, but it was a beautiful celebration that kept things simple. It reminded us that the most important things in this life are our faith, our love, and our families. It helped us more deeply understand the importance of the sacrament alone.

In spite of everything that happened, we believe God called us to marry each other, and his plan for us was more beautiful than any elaborate wedding we could have planned for ourselves.